Sean “Diddy” Combs, once known for hosting star-studded White Parties in the Hamptons, now faces serious legal trouble. Starting May 12, a trial will hear prosecutors argue that the music mogul used his fame to sexually abuse women at private gatherings hidden from the public eye.
Prosecutors claim that for more than 20 years, the Bad Boy Records founder used his fame and influence to harm and exploit young people, according to the Associated Press.
The charges detail disturbing events called “Freak Offs“, described as drug-fuelled gatherings where women were coerced into sexual acts with male sex workers whilst Combs recorded the incidents.
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According to prosecutors, multiple witnesses have alleged that Combs used violent tactics to maintain silence, including physical assault through choking, striking, and dragging victims. The indictment includes an incident where he allegedly suspended someone from a balcony.
The defence team maintains that prosecutors are interfering with consensual adult activities.
Whilst Combs, aged 55, has admitted to one violent incident – the videotaped assault of his former partner, R&B artist Cassie – his legal representatives deny other accusations.
The federal courthouse in Manhattan will begin jury selection on Monday, with witness testimonies expected the following week.
If found guilty of all charges — including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting people across state lines for prostitution — Combs could face several decades in prison.
The investigation intensified following Cassie’s lawsuit. The trial will focus on four women’s allegations, though numerous individuals have filed lawsuits against Combs.
Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie, publicly filed a lawsuit in late 2023, alleging years of abuse, including physical assault and rape, beginning in 2005.
Her lawsuit, which first revealed the “Freak Offs” mentioned in the indictment, reached a swift settlement in a day.
Subsequently, federal agents searched Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami, confronting him at a Florida private airport. They seized 96 electronic devices and discovered three AR-15-style rifles with altered serial numbers.
The three-time Grammy winner was indicted in September and has been held in a Brooklyn federal facility since then, with judges ruling that his release could pose a risk of witness and victim intimidation.
The 17-page indictment accuses Combs of using employees from his various business ventures—such as record labels, a recording studio, an apparel line, an alcohol brand, a marketing agency, a TV network, and a media company—to assist in crimes including kidnapping, arson, and bribery.
The prosecution intends to present travel documentation, electronic communications, hotel records and video evidence to corroborate testimony regarding what they refer to as “Freak Off activity.”
Evidence will include security footage depicting Combs physically assaulting Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, showing him striking, kicking and pulling her through a hallway.
Following the footage broadcast on CNN last year, Combs apologised, saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Regarding the Freak Offs, defence counsel Marc Agnifilo revealed at a bail hearing that Combs provided Cassie with substantial financial compensation after her lawsuit. The defence suggests this payment prompted others to present unfounded allegations.
This is not Combs’ first legal proceeding. He received acquittal in 2001 regarding charges of illegal firearm possession at a Manhattan club where three individuals sustained gunshot wounds.
Jamal Barrow, performing as Shyne and part of Combs’ group, received a conviction for the shooting incident and served approximately nine years in prison.
At a pretrial conference on Thursday, Combs told the judge he had rejected a plea deal that offered a lighter sentence than what he could face if convicted at trial. As he left the courtroom, he raised his fist in defiance.
